In a recent hearing, the Delhi High Court stated that the controversial ex-IAS trainee officer, Ms. Puja Khedkar, had the liberty to approach the appropriate forum to challenge the cancellation of her candidature. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) informed the Court that it would provide Ms. Khedkar with the order cancelling her candidature within two days. Justice Jyoti Singh then disposed of Puja Khedkar’s plea clarifying that it has not examined or expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
Recently, Officer Khedkar moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) decision to cancel her candidature, after the apex recruiting body through a press statement stated that it had taken a decision to cancel the provisional candidature of Puja Khedkar, who was facing accusations of cheating and forgery. The UPSC found Puja Khedkar violating rules and debarred her from all future exams and selections.
“The UPSC has examined the available records carefully and found her guilty of acting in contravention of the provisions of the CSE-2022 Rules. Her provisional candidature for the CSE-2022 has been cancelled and she has also been debarred permanently from all future Examinations/Selections of the UPSC,” read a press statement.
On August 7th, the UPSC informed the Delhi HC that it would communicate within two days regarding its order cancelling Officer Khedkar’s candidature. During the hearing, senior advocate Ms. Indira Jaising, appearing for Ms. Khedkar, said the cancellation order was never communicated to her and she came to know about it only through the press release. Up on being asked by the court as to why she has not approached the Central Administrative Tribunal with her challenge, Ms. Khedkar’s counsel said since she was not served with the official order by the UPSC, the plea was moved before the High Court impugning the press release.
Ms. Puja Khedkar, a 2022 batch ex-IAS officer under training, became a subject of intense discourse over the internet and national television after allegations arose that she had lied about her mental and visual condition, through “fraudulently” obtained certificates from the District Civil Hospital in Ahmednagar, to secure an officer’s post despite an unremarkable score in the ultra-competitive qualifying exam. Khedkar was “diagnosed” with Locomotor Disability and a 7% permanent disability concerning her left lower limb. She also obtained a second certificate, which covered both low vision and mental illness (depression).
The conundrum was fueled when it was learned that Khedkar, while going through the selection process for an IAS post, had refused to undergo a mandatory medical test to confirm her disabilities six times in a row! It is pertinent to mention that she secured an All India Rank of 821 under the Physical Disability (PWD-5) category in the 2022 UPSC exams. The Union government established a one-member committee to verify Khedkar’s candidature and instructed it to submit a report within two weeks.
The Union Public Service Commission initiated multiple actions against Khedkar, including filing an FIR with the police and issuing a Show Cause Notice to cancel her candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and to bar her from future examinations and selections.
The entire fiasco unfurled after she made demands for a separate cabin and staff during her Pune posting. She demanded a red-blue beacon light, a VIP number plate, along with a ‘Maharashtra government’ board affixed to her private Audi car and other shenanigans while being posted as the Super Numerary Assistant Collector in Pune.
